BELT

Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the BELT of His waist – Isaiah 11:5

The first element in the Believer’s Spiritual Armor is the BELT of Truth: “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth…” (Eph. 6:14a). The armor of warfare consists of five defensive weapons: the belt of truth; breastplate of righteousness; feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; the shield of faith; and helmet of salvation. The other two elements are both offensive and defensive weapons: “the Sword of the Spirit” and prayer (Eph.6:10-17).

The Belt or Girdle of truth was a very important piece to the Roman Soldier's armor. It was the first piece of armor the soldier would put on, to keep the clothing close to the body, so nothing would be flapping around. The belt helped to gather all the loose clothing in place so as not to get in the way. When we run power tools, such as saws, we are told not to wear loose fitting clothes. Belts were particularly important for military officers, to hold the bottom of the breastplate in place, and the sheath for the sword. The belt was meant for the loins, to brace the armour tight against the body, and support daggers, swords and other weapons. Without the belt in place, the soldier was in danger of tripping over his own clothing. The value of the belt in a literal sense is that it needs to be trustworthy; otherwise the rest of the armour is useless.

Ephesians 6:14a refers to a belt in its spiritual significance, in terms of trustworthiness and dependability – truth! John 8:32 says: “And you shall know the truth, and the TRUTH shall make you free.” Ephesians 5:9 reveals: “the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and TRUTH.” Much of spiritual warfare takes place in the Mind, as it is bombarded by deception, half-truth, falsehood and the spirit of error (2Cor.10:4-6). We are instructed in 1 Peter 1:13, “… gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Putting on the belt of truth is therefore following the Lord’s footsteps (Isa.11:5). We are called to be those whose lives are in solidarity with the life of Jesus. This goes beyond your knowledge about the truth. How trustworthy and dependable are you in the King of kings? How much of what you know reflects in your commitment to Kingdom work?

Being lied to in one thing, lying to others is another. Some believers are falling in the battle field because their lips are laden with lies. To such, some lies are “white” – convenient lies that are deemed to be necessary for survival. This ought not to be so. Liars cannot win battles in the spirit. Satan is the father of all lies and liars: “he was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (Jh.8:44b). Whoever does not cherish the belt of truth is probably still in the camp of the devil. We are called to be authentic models of integrity and genuineness, not purveyors of fakery and falsehood.

The belt of truth may appear ordinary, but it is mighty in battle. Without the belt in place, everything would be out of place and the soldier would be in danger of defeat. The Lord wants you to wear the belt always: “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning” (Lk.12:35). Without the belt of truth in place, you have no foundation on which to base warfare with the enemy. Because your enemy is the father of lies you must wear the belt of truth to counter his deceit. Make a daily commitment to obediently follow the Lord, whatever the cost. Just as a belt secures clothing in place, your life must be encircled and held together by the truth of God’s Word.